


Sunlight

by kikidi77



Category: Shadow and Bone (TV), The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Aleksander deserved a taste of happiness even for just a split second, Because we deserved a better ending than that, Darklina - Freeform, F/M, I love Nikolai, I suck at tags, Maybe - Freeform, ben barnes - Freeform, but i dont like him either, can we appreciate ben barnes as Aleksander, i also suck at titles, i dont hate mal, i hate that alina lost her powers, i might change the title when i think of a better one, not sure yet - Freeform, so he might show up in later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:07:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29797212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikidi77/pseuds/kikidi77
Summary: He is darkness. She is the sun. Will he let her in in time to save Ravka? Will she accept his darkness enough to save him from himself?ORA rewrite to include The Darkling's POV. Here we see them fall in love and hopefully, get the ending that i hoped they were going to get. (Because we all know that they were meant to be together. No one can tell me otherwise. Don't even try!)
Relationships: The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Sunlight

The man looked at the faces in the throne room and fought the urge the slash at every living being that dared to contradict him. But that was not a wise thing to do, especially since the King of Ravka was one of those said individuals. He fought the darkness bubbling inside him all while maintaining a calm exterior. It certainly didn’t help that out of all the Ravkan monarchs he had served, this one was by far, the worst of the lot when it came to competency. This one cared for nothing but his parties, his whores, and his hunts. 

“Perhaps your presence at the crossing will help ensure its success,” the Apparat’s creaking voice echoed from the beside the throne. The man fought the urged to scoff. The only thing his absence from Os Alta would help is the Apparat’s ambition. 

“Is this what your majesty commands?” The man glared at the Apparat as he voiced his inquiry, already knowing what the reply would be. 

“It is.” The King answered, bored, unnerved, and seemingly oblivious to the staring contest happening between the man and the Apparat. The first to break eye contact would lose and the man never lost, not in this game. 

A silent minute passed as the Apparat shifted his leg for balance and a trickle of sweat could be seen forming on his forehead. The man flicked his finger behind his back. Immediately, the Apparat winced in fear as the shadows around him flickered, encroaching his personal space, and then dissipated just as quickly as they came. He looked away and the man let out tiny smirk to celebrate his small victory. 

“Then it will be done, Moi Tsar.” The man finally spoke, his face just as emotionless as ever. 

So it was, that one week later, the man found himself in his coach to Kribirsk along with a swathe of Grisha to follow his every bidding. 

He sighed in annoyance as he shifted on his seat to find a more comfortable position. The road to Kribirsk was a long one and he did not have anything else to do but to stare at the few feet of space around. There was no one to talk to either. And even if there was someone to talk to, he couldn’t… He wouldn’t dare to… 

‘You must maintain an air of authority at all times, especially when no one expects you to.’ His mother’s voice sounded in his head. 

‘Never let anyone in. Don’t let them too close. They will only let you down and hurt you.’ Smart words, but for a young boy who wanted to belong, those words cut deep. He refused to believe her at first, and then the incident happened. It was a boy and girl – his first true friend, or so he thought. Until he let his guard down. Until she found out about what he was. Until she used his emotions against him. Until she saw his trust as a weakness. Until she tried to kill him and attempted to use his bones as an amplifier. 

The man shook his head as he opened the curtains and called his shadows to darken the interior of the coach. It darkened just enough so no one can see him from outside, but he could still see the scenery that they passed by. 

He rubbed the back of his right hand as he struggled with his thoughts. He used the cut back then. His first kill. He supposed that everyone would always remember their first kill. Sure, it was self-defense, but that fact didn’t make it less traumatizing. 

‘It was either your life or theirs.’ His mother shushed him as he cried. ‘Those bastards had it coming. And besides, they were going to die anyway. Whether they died yesterday, next year, or ten years from now, their miniscule life is expendable. They are but ants.’ She told him as she hugged him tighter, his sobs calmed into small sniffs. ‘But you, my boy… You are special. You are meant for bigger things than this.’ 

‘But mama, I just wanted a friend. Why can’t I have friends, mama? I just want to be normal like everyone else. I just wanted… ’ he didn’t even finish his sentence when he felt a slap on his cheek. It wasn’t strong enough to hurt him by any means, but it was enough to startle an emotionally unsteady kid. 

‘Wanting that makes you weak, boy!’ she yelled. Her hands were on his shoulder as she shook him in frustration. His cries grew louder with each shove and finally, she threw him to the ground in a huff. ‘Mama, please… I’m sorry…’ 

‘Now, you listen to me you little runt! There’s just you and me in this world, do you understand? Just you and me. Only I will protect you. Only I will love you. Only I will be with you until the end. You don’t need friends when you have me. I am your mother, and you will only have one mother in this life.’ She was knelt in front of his form now. She opened her arms in invitation and his shaky body got up to hug her. 

‘I’m sorry, mama.’ The boy cried. 

‘Shh little boy… If you promise to do as I say from now on, I will take care of you.’ The boy nodded as he continued to sob in his mother’s arms. ‘Shh… Mama will take care of everything. Always remember, mama only wants what’s best for you.’ She repeated until he fell asleep to a hummed lullaby. 

The man scoffed at his memory. Many, many centuries have passed since that day. He was no longer a weak boy. In fact, he is the second most powerful man in Ravka - second only to the King. Some would even say that he is number one, if not for the crown that sits on the King’s head – a head that he can easily snap off with a flick of his finger. 

He pondered on whether he should do that when he gets back to the Os Alta. He wanted to. But no. He wouldn’t waste all the effort that he exerted over the past centuries. It was because of him that his kind now had a sanctuary. Whereas before, they were hunted, burned or experimented on, with nowhere to run to. Now, they had a safe haven in his Little Palace where they can be safe and learn to hone their powers. 

He desired for more, of course. He wanted the Shu to stop experimenting on Grisha. He wanted Fjerda to stop burning his kind as witches. He wanted to exact revenge for all the Grisha lives that they had taken. He want the Fold to… Hmm… that’s a thought for another day. Well, most of all, he wanted to kick the incompetent Lantsov line out of the throne. He would make a better ruler, anyway. And when that day comes, his Grisha can roam the world without a single worried thought about their safety. 

In order to achieve the world that he wanted, he has to bide his time. So, he let these monarchs come and go, and their advisors rise and fall. They age and get replaced but he will be eternal. If time has taught him anything, it was patience. Slowly but surely, his time will come. 

They were in Kribirsk now. Just a few minutes longer and they would be in the Grisha tents and he can finally stretch his legs. He felt the coach shuffle and heard his horses neigh as he heard a shout outside. 

“Get out of the way!” the voice yelled. It sounded like Ivan, his most loyal Heartrender. The coach slowed its pace as the man looked out of the window, his shadows still covering him. 

There he saw a girl with dark brown hair wearing a First Army uniform in the arms of a boy wearing the same uniform. He didn’t see her face though, so he switched to the opposite seat so he could take a look. His curiosity took over. From what he gathered of the sudden movement of his coach, the boy probably pulled the girl out of the way so she didn’t get trampled on. 

He hurriedly settled on his new seat and looked out, hoping that they were still in view while silently thanking the saints when his coach slowed at almost a stop. They were at a crowded area now, and it wouldn’t look good on him if his coach is seen trampling people all over. 

She was still in the boys arms and she was looking at the boy with obvious adoration. The man found himself wondering if anyone has ever looked at him that way. Sure he’s noticed the looks that people gave him – some of fear and some of lust. But the way that the girl looked at the boy was something else. It almost made him want to cut the boy in half and force her to look at him like that… like he was the moon, and she longed all her life to touch him. 

Her face was pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes. He wondered why she didn’t get enough sleep. Or, if she did, what nightmares woke her up in the middle of the night to cause those dark circles to appear. The man found himself wanting to be the one to chase those nightmares away. For Grisha standards, she wasn’t really much to look at, but deny as he might, she stirred something in him that he never felt before. 

“Hmm…” he wondered at the feeling that suddenly crept up on his chest, right where his heart is. 

The boy suddenly let her go, as if he got caught doing something that he wasn’t supposed to. The man saw a break in her smile. It was very brief before she put on another smile – a fake one. He doubted if the boy saw the flicker of emotions that fleetingly filled her face. But the man did. And he didn’t like it. He didn’t like that she was hurting. His arm twitched as he stopped himself from using the cut on the boy. The urge was stronger this time. 

And then it happened. Her eyes found his. She had dark eyes. As dark as the night sky on a starless night. She couldn’t possibly see him through the shadows he put up in the coach. But it sure felt like she did. It seemed like her eyes bore through the very depth of his soul, fighting away all the darkness until all that was left was light. That feeling in his chest started to intensify. It was as if his heart was racing at an unprecedented speed. If he didn’t stop looking at her eyes, his whole being might explode. 

Maybe she was just looking at the coach, wondering who was inside. Or maybe, she saw through his darkness with her light. No, impossible. The man closed the curtains and forced himself to take a deep breath to slow his heart beat. Saints! What was he thinking? She’s an otkazat’sya. And that was that. 

He had no business entertaining thoughts about her. Whatever this feeling was, it would pass, as with all things. He has a long life ahead of him. He will not complicate it by wanting this feeling – especially not for an otkazat’sya. 

“Wanting makes us weak,” he whispered. “See mother, I do listen.” 

He settled on his seat, his face back to its normal stoicity. Meanwhile, his insides were in turmoil as he fought the urge to look out the window again.


End file.
